Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-17
PROHIBITION ADDRESS
OF
". S. HERND0N,
At Tyler, Texas, April 2, 1887, Before a
Mass Meeting OF tho People
OF SmIUh County.
RESOLUTION ADOPTED

RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
"ResOlved, That we, the people of Smitl
county, in mass meeting assembled, il
the interest Of prohibiuon, do hereby en-
d0rse the address Jus: delivered to US b.
W. S. HerndOn, and do earnestly reques
him TO prepare and submit the same K
the state campaign committee for publica
. ton and general distriOuti0n.n
4 Deferring to the wishes Of the people
so fatteringly expressed and feeling s
deep soECitude for the success Of the
great reform movement now SO happily
inaugurated, l vii! submit FOR publication
the views expressed on the occasion
4named
Z Ihave 70 hesitation in choosing sides OF
4 this issue; have neither the wish nOI
the Inclination 20 hold conflicting views
a. to my duty on any question Of public
concern. My convictions are formed from
investigation and e sense of duty 10 the
highest interests o. the people. ihaVe not
had much faith in local option; it is too
limited and restricted to do more than u
educate public opinion for more de
ci,ive movement. The amendment to the
constitution submitted by the last Legls-
latUre for adoption by tie people will
deal with the subject more directly, and,
we trust, more successfully. Here IS the
amendment proposed:
PROHIBITION JOINT RESOLUTION.
I To amend section %, Of article IL, OF the state
4 cons tiLaLlOn.
Section /. BE il resolved by the Legislature
Of the state of Texas, that -CtlOn %, OF article
/ l6, of the constitution, be so amended as to
/ red as follows, to wit.
! 'Sec. 20. The manufacture, sale and exchange
4 Of intoxicating liz ora, except fOr medical, me
/ ChauiCal, saCramental and scientific puTp cs,
/ is hereby prohibited in the state of Texas.
J The Legislature shall, az the first session held
after the adoption of this amendment, enact
/ necessary laws TO put this provision into eff
feet "
sec , The foregoinS constitutional amend
ment shall be submitted to vote of the quail
4 fled eieCtOUs of the state of Texas, a an cleo
ion 10 be held for that purpose, on the first
Thursday In August, 1887. At which election, all
voters fayOTing said proposed amendment,
/ shall write on their ballots the WOrus, For
state Prohibition" and those opposed to said
/ amendment shall write on their ballots, Against
STATE Prohibitions The Governor of the state
is hereby directed to Issue the neces 5ary publ
cation Tor sajd election under the existing cleo
. tiOl laws of the state
What does it really mean? What
changes VIII be wrought by Its adoption?
What conclusions can be fairly drawn
fIom the measure:
WHAT II DOES NOT PROHIBIT.
/. The amendment will not prohibit the
drinking OF Intoxicating liquors.
> Il WjIL EC- prohibit the manufacture,
sale and exchange OF intoxicating liquors
Tor medical, mechanical, sacramento
and scientific purposes.
3. It VIII not proni5it the keeping Ct
open houses for vending liquor for the
lawful purposes named in the set.
T. Il Will not prevent the Legislature
from granting p license to sell Tor law
fuI purposes, and collecting revenue
therefor.
.. l. does not propose to rashly sad at
once turn out the man employed in the
business, nor c0ndscate the capital in
vested.
6. II does not propose to carry the
amendment into effect until the next
. Legislature shall pass proper laws for
/ that purpose, winch may be more than
/ two years hence.
WHAT IT DOES PROHIBIT. &
. l. It does prohibit the manufacture
/ sale and exchange of intoxicating liquors
! for uElawfuI purposes.
I =. Ii will prohibit the granting of IL
. ceuse to open houses for selling iutOXi-
eating liquors to people to crafty their
sp2etites as a beverage, and thus fur
/ uIsh resorts for the idle, depraved and
vicious.
3. rhe law is leveled at the retail IL
Quyr traffic, as carried on in saloons, re-
/ gardinz this as 8 vice COrrupting in its
nature and bHghting in its effects, TO the
BEST interests of the people; it intends TO
limit and restrict the traffic to that which
may be proper and useful, depriving it of
the means aud methods now used for eX-
panding the business.
f. The amendment ssSum2S that the
making aud selling f Int 1Xica ing liquors
Is 81 evil II iIriouS 10 TIE state, aud pro-
poses. hv tt, amendment, - T. strain and
Limit the business within such bounds as
VIII afford 3 remedy therefor, so far as
, may be consistent with the public in
terest.
4 candid og4niin2tjon of the amend
msnt will sl9~ ito be very co"scrva-
tive meaSure Its not radical anu sweep
ing in It's pprp9ses and effects. It pro
/ poses t0. deal with the subject fairly,
gradRaHynlfd Justly, giving ample time
for dis ussicn before It's adoption, and for
plans ana legislation before it shall take
I,effeC5, S44pWing every one engaged IN the
/ business TO fully protect them selves and
I
forms il moves slowly, but surely, allow
! inc ell Other interests to adj ISt them
selv-s To the changes made with as little
conflict end injury as may be possible.
Have the people the power and right to
adopt the proposed amendment?
Having stem what. the amendment is,
ana is uOt-that il IS wise, progressive
/ ana conservative measure, submitted in
/ the interest Of reform and better govern
ment-the next question an ordsR is:
( "Have we the power aud right to pass it,
and enforce it,"
Ia q free, representative government
/ like this, where all political power ema-
mates from the people who constitute its
source and the fountain of patriotic viz
tues, they possess and may eXerctBe such
powers as they see tit. They may amend
and change their constitution and Jaws at
will. Senator Coke, who is quoted with
appreciation by anti-Prohib uouists, in
/ his speech on August -, 1886, said:
"Fellow-Citize the will of the ma Or-
/ ity of the people of Texas, expressed at
! the polls on local option and embodied in
! the constitution and laws, is supreme.
! That majority have a right at any time to
alter, amend or repeal both the cOnstltu-
! ton and the laws on this, or any other
subject. IT ma oriJy of the people of
Texas demand the submission of an
amendment TO the constitution, ubject-
inc the entire state to the operation of
prohibition to the popular vote, there is,
/ and can be, no question Of their right to
! have it SO submitted. These are undeni-
able propositions"
His declarations are emDhatic: but not